Coach Mike Tomlin hit on all of the offseason topics in his postseason press conference, addressing everything from his plan to be back next season, to the offensive coordinator job to quarterback competition.
But he didn't stop there.
With the season over, there were plenty of other topics Tomlin hit on, including touching on the progress of multiple players during the 2023 season.
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Second-round pick Joey Porter Jr. earned a starting spot as the 2023 season wore on, playing in all 17 games while starting 11.
Porter emerged as someone who was assigned to cover the opponent's top receivers and he didn't disappoint.
"I'm really excited about the trajectory of his career," said Tomlin. "Probably the most impressive component of where he is, is his mindset. He wants the fight. He wants the tough coverage. He's extremely competitive in that way. And that's a great place to build from.
"He's got growth ahead of him, but that's real solid."
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Veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson reinvented himself this year when he made the switch to safety in the final weeks of the season to help a defense that was missing multiple pieces.
Peterson thrived at the spot, but at this point it's still too soon to know if the switch to safety is one that will continue into the 2024 season.
"We're really at the infancy of these things," said Tomlin. "I did meet with Pat, we had a good exit interview. I'm really appreciative of his experience and professionalism and who he is as a man and player, what he's willing to do.
"But from a decision-making standpoint, we're just really at the infancy of it all from that standpoint."
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Running back Najee Harris turned in his third straight 1,000-yard season, coming on strong as the season wore on and the ground game was relied upon.
Harris finished the 2023 season with 255 carries for 1,035 yards and eight touchdowns. In three seasons, the former No. 1 pick has 834 carries for 3,269 yards and 22 touchdowns.
"He's been what we needed him to be," said Tomlin. "He's a 1,000-yard rusher three straight years and how scarce that is. And I just think that speaks to his consistency, availability.
"He's been really solid."
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Tight end Pat Freiermuth might not always be the most outspoken player in the Steelers locker room, but he has a passion and drive that is easy to see.
Tomlin was asked specifically about players stepping up into leadership roles this year who always haven't shown that and the one player he called out by name was Freiermuth, in particular his role near the end of the season when so much was on the line for the team.
"I was really impressed by Freiermuth down the stretch," said Tomlin.
That type of growth is something Tomlin expects to see from players as they gain experience.
"I am not shocked by that," said Tomlin. "I think the journey often times provides opportunity for growth to develop, to raise within the ranks in a lot of ways, in terms of division of labor in roles or leadership and certainly some of that transpired."
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Receiver George Pickens turned in his first 1,000-yard season in his young career, pulling in 63 receptions for 1,140 yards and five touchdowns.
Pickens has proven to be a deep threat for the passing game and someone who can make outrageously difficult catches.
He also showed growth in 2023, growth Tomlin said during the season he wanted to see from the second-year receiver.
"It has been in all areas," said Tomlin of his growth. "In football and in life. But there's a lot of meat on that bone and I'm excited about continuing to be a component of that process with him."
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Rookie Keeanu Benton went into the 2023 season not knowing how much playing time he would see, but on a veteran defensive line the expectation wasn't to start nine of the 17 games he played.
He earned that right though, and the future is extremely bright for the second-round draft pick
"It's interesting. I had an exit interview with him. I'm really excited about the prospects of his future," said Tomlin. "He's really talented. I think he's capable of being dominant sooner rather than later.
"The question is how quickly can we make that happen and what are our roles in doing so. We just had a real good conversation about what that looks like foundationally and how do we build."
